airBsit wants to connect you with trusted babysitters

In my experience growing up, my parents would frequently find babysitters through word-of-mouth or by contacting local relatives. It can be a quick and easy solution, but not necessarily an option in all cases. For those who do not have that luxury, airBsit has rolled out a platform to find trusted babysitters.

airBsit, which has unveiled apps for Android and iOS, allows users manage invitations (whether receiving them or posting your services to potential clients), to check on your kids in real-time (by call or message), to stop the timer, to rate babysitters, add them to a list of favorites, and to pay them. Arranging a sitter through the app is a matter of proposing an offer, with details on when, where, and how much, to a particular user, who will receive a notification and can then choose whether or not to accept. If parents are looking to hire a particular person who does not use airBsit, they can also invite them through the app.

At this point, the startup’s app maintains a rating of 3.5 stars (out of 5) from 122 reviewers on Android and a rating of 4.5 stars (from 5) on iOS. As with many marketplaces, airBsit has decided on a commission-based revenue model, taking a fee that is equivalent to 15 of babysitting (regardless of the duration of the session). However, their app is free to end-users.

What is noteworthy about this startup is that it was created by a duo of mothers, who were inspired by their own frustrations in finding a babysitter. Supported solely through funds from the founders, airBsit initially launched in Brussels in November 2015, but expanded into Luxembourg and Amsterdam in March and now claims 33,000 users. Going forward, the startup is interested in further European expansion, such as moving into Paris and London.